Friday, February 3, 2012
CARDS & CONSEQUENCES
12:16 PM | 
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
Credit American television viewers with this: their seeming ability to withstand, without losing their collective minds, what appears to be an numbingly unceasing barrage of TV commercials for 1) Law firms hawking their “IRS experts” as the ones you should hire for negotiations with the government to reduce your tax debt. 2) Celebrity pitchmen for reverse mortgages. First it was the late Peter Graves. Then it was Robert Wagner and former senator (and part-time thespian) Fred Thompson and now we have that gray eminence—can it really be him?--Henry Winkler. Or 3) Credit-card “debt consolidation”companies.
Is there money to be saved using any of the three? Yes, but the obvious catch is, they are all, in one form or another, options that themselves cost the customer money.
As part of the customer rapport at Pension Parameters - our customers speak to us frankly about their entire financial picture – since retirement planning decisions are made when considering ALL factors. It’s been reported that “overall, consumers now carry $2.48 trillion in debt, not counting mortgage debt.” Since we prudently serve the person along with the portfolio, we will always consider anything and everything that contributes to your financial health, with a focus on long-range retirement planning.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Concordia Cruise Tragedy- Too much speculation
8:52 AM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
I asked Douglas Ward, author of Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2012, if he could comment on the Concordia tragedy Right now- he says-- there is too much speculation and it's too early – but I got a few initial comments. This is a very disturbing event and the world is watching with hope that those who are missing are found alive. (Melissa Lande, publicist, Berlitz US)
1. What implications do you think this has for the industry and the safety standards?
It is far too early to tell what the cruise industry as a whole will be doing as a result of the tragedy, but I am certain that the accident will bring into question the training of navigators in charge of cruise ships - particularly with regard to course deviation.
However, I am of the opinion that the hull design and stability calculations will also be important focus points, as will evacuation procedures in general. Today's cruise ships also have hull plating which is much than ocean liners of yesteryear (or like the Queen Mary 2's thick plating). From the pictures available, you can see just how much damage can be caused by a gash in the thin hull.
2. Will lifeboat drills and general safety procedures be toughened up?
In my book - which has been providing ratings to cruise ships for 27 editions based on numerous criteria - with safety being a priority, I stress the importance for passengers (including those that have cruised many times) to attend the Passenger Safety Drill. I do feel that ship's photographers, who take photos of passengers in their lifejackets during the drill aboard some of the large resort ships, should be banned. The drill is taken too lightly by some (crew, particularly concession crew, included), and there may need to be more focus on evacuation procedures in a blackout (or if lifeboat mechanisms and backup batteries fail).
At present, a Passenger Lifeboat Drill must be undertaken within 24 hours of leaving the port of embarkation. It would be better if this drill were conducted before a ship leaves the port of embarkation (many cruise lines already do this, but some do not).
3. What are your thoughts on how this could have happened, with all the high-tech navigation systems?
Because initial (speculative) indications suggest that the ship had deviated from its course, it could be that attention on the navigation bridge was not as it should have been. Perhaps recovery of the black box will help investigators to determine the sequence of events leading up to the disaster. The tragedy should, of course, never have happened.
Although even high-tech navigation systems can go wrong (think of your car sat-nav and you ending up in a field), it is extremely rare for them to do so. One thing is certain - we don't want this to happen again.
Most new ships have fully-enclosed navigation bridges, and so there is more reliance on high-tech systems - no one knows how to use a sextant anymore in the 21st century.
Because the ship was close to land, the loss of life is thankfully less than it would have been if the ship had been far out at sea.
Douglas Ward, in a 46-year career in cruising that has seen him log some 5,700 hours at sea on more than 1,000 cruises, is author, for the 27th consecutive year, of Berlitz 2012 Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships.
Monday, December 19, 2011
GETTING CLEAR: SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME
9:27 AM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
Is the only time you have a minute to STOP and THINK your commuting time or even bathroom time?
I'm not being crude, but in the world of multi-tasking - it's hard to even catch your breath. A lot of my commuting colleagues value time just sitting on a train.Just soaking in nothing - or letting the details settle.
Multi-tasking isn't the culprit; it's HOW we go about it. And since we are JUST human, there is so much to see and do and read that we're under a new kind of stress due to the proliferation of things that are SHINY and NEW. New apps. New platforms. New gadgets. New stats. Argh!
SHINY OBJECT SYNDROME is what the experts (yes, a lot of them too, thank goodness; my business is built on promoting those Thought Leaders) say is big reason we are in a tailspin.
Just received a post from Linda Anderson, who is an expert on AD/HD and has a very interesting newsletter "Getting Clear." She says "it actually has a name. It's not just folks with AD/HD who are distracted by anything that sparkles with possibilities and newness. Often entrepreneurs and business owners are also attracted, or distracted, by sparkly in the form of electronics, software and new ideas."
Karyn Greenstreet, who writes for business owners, and just did a piece on Shiny Object Syndrome (SOS).Click here
Says Linda,"It's hard to focus, get back on track and figure out what is really important on our To Do list. Experience tells me that we have to start handling SOS by first opening our eyes wide and recognizing that we are living in a distracting culture. How many things in your life are distracting you from accomplishing something that you really want to accomplish?"
This is all part of being conscious in my opinion. You do not have to go to India or Nepal to practice consciousness. Practice it while you work. Take a breath. Look at your list. Prioritize your tasks. And go through them one-by-one (expect to be interrupted; and choose your interruptions; that's what voicemail is for).
Now that I've written this, I can go back to work!
Friday, December 16, 2011
INDISPENSABLE 'LISTS' FEATURED IN BERLITZ'S 2012 COMPLETE GUIDE TO CRUISING & CRUISE SHIPS by Douglas Ward
1:23 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
SIX CRUISE-LINE RIP-OFFS TO AVOID
1. Currency conversion: A game where cruise lines win from total control over your onboard account. Using a foreign credit card to pay this account means you could incur currency-conversion charges.
2. Extra gratuities: Major cruise lines typically imprint an additional line on receipts, despite a 15% gratuity having already been added to the actual cost. Thus you’re invited to pay a double gratuity. What a rip-off!
3. Transfer buses: The costs of airport transfer buses in some ports, such as Athens and Barcelona.
4. Mineral water: The cost of bottled mineral water for shore excursions. Example: Celebrity Cruises charges $4.50, but then adds another 15% gratuity “for your convenience.”
5. Navigation bridge tours: Princess Cruises charges $150 per person to be entered into a “raffle” to compete for just six available tickets to see the ship’s bridge. Still want to see it?
6. Bingo cards. The cost of cards is rising dramatically. One extreme example: NCL charges $40 for a block of four cards.
"Cruising is still the best value out there," says Ward," but there are pitfalls to avoid. This guide provides a wealth of information about 285 of the world's major cruise ships, life and services aboard them and how to get the most from the cruising experience." As for those colorful stand-alone lists, Ward calls them "quick, at-a-glance reference features and critiques on several cruise-related subjects that are all invaluable to the savvy and cost-conscious cruiser". Are there more topics he might have covered in these mini-features? "Certainly," Ward says, "but 688 pages aren't enough to, well, list them all."
To obtain the 2012 Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships: Find at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Powells.com, independent bookstores and wherever fine books are sold. Berlitz Cruise Ships 2012 app ($9.99), which works with iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch, can be purchased and downloaded at iTunes.
###
PRESS CONTACT: Melissa Lande, Lande Communications, 212-706-9003, Mlande@landepr.com.
Labels:
cruise ripoffs
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
THE only way to find a cruise - 2012 Berlitz Cruise Guide 2012 app is here!
1:59 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
TWO TAPS TO YOUR PERFECT CRUISE: FOR LESS THAN $10!
New 2012 Berlitz Cruise App Takes the Hassle out of Choosing a Cruise Ship
The newly designed app provides quick and easy access to insightful reviews of virtually every ocean going ship in the world. Completely independent and accepting no sponsorship, the Berlitz Cruise Ships 2012 app and its author, Douglas Ward, annually set the internationally recognized ratings system for cruise ships worldwide, keeping app users bang up to date on the world of cruising. Ward is recognized as the top authority on cruising and cruise ships, with more than 45 years of experience.
At a glance, the fully updated Berlitz Cruise Ships 2012 app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch features:
- Twice as many ship photographs as last year.
- More in-depth information on major and minor cruise lines.
- A new cruise ship filter function to search by preference.
- All you need to know about each cruise ship’s accommodation, cuisine, entertainment and spa/fitness facilities.
- Frank answers from Douglas Ward to frequently asked cruise questions.
- Must-read practical tips that relate to both before and during a cruise.
- Facilities to mark favorite cruise ships for future reference, and share with friends and family.
- A fresh user-friendly design.
Berlitz Cruise Ships 2012 app ($9.99) launches this week and can be purchased and downloaded at itunes. Click here for more information.
###
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Becoming an Expert in Marketing Now: A Slippery Slope-but Get out there
9:14 AM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
This just in from Robert Fleming, President/CEO, eMarketing Association:
"Everything comes with an expiration date. Your college diploma, your knowledge and experience become dated, even your life won't last forever. Yesterday is gone, and with it all the old rules, processes and techniques. Marketing is evolving at a staggering rate, and if you are not on the steamroller you will be under it. There are hazards and opportunities in this new marketing landscape, continue to develop and learn and you can meet the challenge, and take advantages of the opportunities. The worst thing you can do as a marketer is nothing. Don’t read books and articles on marketing trends, don't attend conferences, seminars and trade shows, don't do your homework, and you will be quickly left behind. Squished."
"We now compete in a global market, unlike any in the history of marketing. Knowledge and execution are the keys to the new marketing universe."
"If you haven't already, subscribe to some good tech and marketing publications and blogs. But be aware that nobody nowadays is really an expert, we are in unchartered waters, a place where no one has ever been (like star trek). So take information, research it, collaborate it, build your networks, partner with your competitors and keep focused."
"I will be at the ad:tech show in NYC next week, my twitter is: @fleming29 if you are there, I would love to meet you, so tweet me and we may be able to get together. Making new connections, and renewing old ones is essential. While your efforts in professional development may not always be super successful, one thing is for sure, you will most certainly fail if you don't even try."
Mr. Fleming, who has managed to put into words exactly what I think about how difficult it is to really be on top of ALL OF THIS will be at Ad Tech in NYC next week and has an event in April that is the one event you won't want to miss (if you decide to get as much as you can in ONE event). This is THE one. SF: in April (what could be better)?
http://www.emarketingassociation.com/2012/register.html
"We now compete in a global market, unlike any in the history of marketing. Knowledge and execution are the keys to the new marketing universe."
"If you haven't already, subscribe to some good tech and marketing publications and blogs. But be aware that nobody nowadays is really an expert, we are in unchartered waters, a place where no one has ever been (like star trek). So take information, research it, collaborate it, build your networks, partner with your competitors and keep focused."
"I will be at the ad:tech show in NYC next week, my twitter is: @fleming29 if you are there, I would love to meet you, so tweet me and we may be able to get together. Making new connections, and renewing old ones is essential. While your efforts in professional development may not always be super successful, one thing is for sure, you will most certainly fail if you don't even try."
Mr. Fleming, who has managed to put into words exactly what I think about how difficult it is to really be on top of ALL OF THIS will be at Ad Tech in NYC next week and has an event in April that is the one event you won't want to miss (if you decide to get as much as you can in ONE event). This is THE one. SF: in April (what could be better)?
http://www.emarketingassociation.com/2012/register.html
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
We're all Bozos on This Bus
5:48 PM |
Posted by
LEADERHUNTRESS |
NEW YORK, NY, Nov 2, 2011--Did you ever have the experience of being in a public place -- then something happened, and you didn't know whether to be outraged, entertained, or just ignore it?
That pretty much describes every bus ride and subway ride in NYC -- and it happened today when my driver (aka Swami "Everythingsucksananda") calmed his squashed and befuddled swarm of passengers, using a wonderfully modulated tone of voice over the mic, suggesting the hope of being discovered in a drugstore by a theatrical agent (do they ride buses?)
I and other New Yorkers -- all ages and all stages of anger management and mourning -- had a chance to actually experience being "bozos" on the crosstown 42nd Street bus. Our very strange, wonderful and warped bus driver took us on an entertaining experience.
Whispering in his dramatic theatrical voice, he was enouraging "better behavior," as he edged toward his political statement. (There's always an agenda; it's not always hidden. It was only a matter of time, which I had; my ETA was already late -- it's an MTA bus.)
"Isn't this wonderful?" he asked."We're in an environmentally friendly bus. Listen to the hum as we do not ruin our city."
Then:
"You hate your job?" he coked a cocky eyebrow in the rearview.
Everyone looked at each other guiltily, many knowing the true secret -(What's a job?)
"Are you just fed up because I came late because there are not enough buses and they closed your afterschool program and you had to leave your lousy job to go pick up your kid?" he queried.
More befuddled looks. And then the point:
"Well you can gripe about it and treat everyone like garbage. or you can HAVE A NICE DAY," he quipped, as the sound of a waterfall entered my mind, and I went into time travel, landing at a meditation retreat.
"You can really be a nice person and MEAN have a nice day. Or just be miserable."
Light. Lurch. Pregnant pause. Pregnant lady rolls eyes and rings the "I gotta get off at the next stop" bell.
"That's sooo nice," says Swami-MTAnanda. "Ringing the bell is a form of COMMUNICATION. Communication is a wonderful thing."
At this point, I found myself judging. Is he fit to drive this bus, on drugs, out of line professionally? I created a mental assessment sheet and started checking boxes.
But then I stopped because he was funny. WE NEED FUNNY.
"Consider the alternative," he continued. "You can be under a slab.Or you can actually HAVE A NICE DAY."
I wondered if this was a video bus and I hoped he wouldn't get in trouble, mostly because it was a whole lot more entertaining than the blasting TVs in the back of taxis.
"If you don't like the way things are, you can actually do something - did you know?"
We all looked at each other. Huh?
"You can OCCUPY WALL STREET."
Ah. The agenda appears. Revolution on an MTA bus, while I struggle with a giant Trader Joe shopping bag and my other stuff. Where's the cell phone? I need to record this. Too late.We're at Second Avenue.
My fellow busmate is laughing. "What's he on?" she says.
Another New Yorker put her nose in the air. "Crazies everywhere."
This has been another New York moment brought to you by LeaderHuntress whose goal it has become to say less, listen more and now I HAVE to talk about it.
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